Roof construction for trucks or trailers



W. G. BUTSCH ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCKS OR TRAILERS Nov. 10; 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1952 IN VEN TOR. VV/LL/AM 6. Bursa/1 Nov. 10, 1953 w. cs. BUTSCH ,7

ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCKS OR TRAILERS Filed June 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. W/u/AM 6. 507501 Nov. 10, 1953 w. G. BuTscH ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCKS OR TRAILERS Filed June 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. W/LL/AM G BUTSCH' 2 a; Aifya Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR TRUCKS OR TRAILERS William G. Butsch, Fort Thomas, Ky.

Application J une 10, 1952, Serial N 0. 292,699

Claims. (01. 296 100) opened wide so that the truck may be readily loaded and unloaded from above.

A further object of this invention is to provide a. roof for a truck body that shall be so constructed that the structural elements thereof will be disposed along the outside of the truck body, when the roof is open.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cover or top for a truck having supports which are housed in the side walls of the truck when the roof is open.

A further object of this invention is to provide Walls of the spring supportmembers for supporting the top or roof of a truck body.

The above and other objects and. features of this invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a truck body constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, the chassis or the truck being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a, top plan view of the truck body showing one-half the roof thereof in open position;

Fig. 3 is a view of the truck in rear elevation;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in section taken along a line IVIV in Fig. 3, showing details of one of the door hinges of the truck body;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in transverse section taken along a line VV in Fig. 2 showing details of a side wall and of one of the roof sections and a portion of the other roofsection of the truck body, the roof sections being shown in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a view in section VI-VI of Fig. 2 showing one roof section in open position; i

Figs. 7 and 8 are. views in section taken along lines VIIVII, and VIII-VIII, respectively, of Fig.1;

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are viewsinsection taken respectively on lines IX-IX, X-X, and XI-XI of Fig. 2;

Fig. .12 is a fragmentary view in sideelevation taken in the direction of' the lineXII-XII .in

taken along a line i p Fig. 13 is a view in section taken along a line XIII-XIII in Fig. 3

Fig. 14 is a view in section taken along a line.

XIV-XIV in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 15 is .a fragmentary view in bottom plan taken in the direction of the line H-XV in Fig. 5.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

As shown in Fig. 3, a trailer truck body 13 is mounted on wheels l4 and includes a floor 15,.

side walls It and i1, and a front wall i8 (Fig. 2) which may be constructed in a conventional manner. A part ofthe front end of the body 13 is covered by a solid top [9. At the rear of the body, doors 253 and 2| (Fig. 3) are hinged to side walls it and I1, respectively. The upperedges of the doors 20 and 2! terminate below the top of the trailer body. Above the doors is located a header panel 22. Panel 22 is hinged to side wall H, and, when closed, is tightly latched by means of latching mechanism 2 3.

The roof of the trailer truck is formed in two sections it and 28 either'or both of be opened and closed. When the roof sections are closed, they meet along the center line of the truck body. Roof section .24 is provided with, a

.ridge pole 2?, and roof section 26 is provided with a ridge pole 23. When the roof sections are closed, the ridge poles meet, as shown in Fig. 5. The ridge pole 2? is provided with a slot 29, while the ridge pole 28 is provided with a tongue 3|. Tongue. 3! extends into slot 29 when the roof sections are closed, tov form a trap for any rain water or other extraneous matter which may be caught between the. roof sections. Ridge pole 21 forms a trough, as shown, along which the water i is discharged. 1

"The ridge pole 28 is attached to the upper and inner ends of a plurality of spaced elongated platesprings 32. Each spring 32 spans the space,

between ridge pole Z8 and sidewall .11. Ridge 3 pole 27 it attached to similar plate springs 32..

Since the springs 32 ofroof section 24 are similar in construction and operation to the springs 32 ofroof section 26, onlythe springs of roof section 26 .willbe described in detail. The upper and inner end of each plate spring 32 is attached to a spacer 32" which, in turn is attached to ridge pole 28. The lower end of plate spring 321s receivedin a track 33in a stud 3 4 of side wall 11.

8, track 33 includes spring guiding slots 35 in which may Details of construction of the tracks "1 areshowniin Figs. 7,: 8,.and 9. i As shown iniFigu which spring 32 is received. The upper portion 34 of each stud 34 is curved toward the opposite side wall as indicated in Fig. 5, and the spring guiding tracks curve with the upper portions of the studs, so that where each spring leaves its tracks, the spring is directed upwardly and toward the opposite side wall as indicated in Fig. 5. When the springs are in roof closed position, as shown in Fig. 5, the springs are arched upwardly forstrength. Whenthe springs are in roof open position, as shown in Fig. 6, the spacer 32" of each spring extends into track 33. As shown in Fig. 9, the side oftrack is open, as indicated at 35, and a tip portion 35 (EEig. 15) of spring 32 projects therethrough.

The lower portion of each track 'li i as shown in Fig. '7, is provided with an enlarged portion 36 in which a compression loadable chain-ii l is received. Chain 31 can be raised to advance spring 32 up it track and can be drawn down h rack t dra s ing 32 dQWI t e track a the bottom of track 33, chain}! meshes with a sprocket wheel 33 (Fig.5). "When sprocket wheel 38 is turned, chain '31 *isadvanced up or down the t a o d ing t e s rin upordown 1 "Roofisections gt and 26 are covered by sheet orskin members Alland H-jrespe'ctively, 'of flexib1e-. i ia fil l a Q J Y% t nless SW91, 19 other appropriate flexible material; The upper and innenedgebfs'kinmember4| is attaehed to'ridge pole. 2 8, whi1e the outer and lower edge ofmern'ber 4| is attached tothe lower end sof the plate springsfof roof section 2B. As "shown iniF'i S. 8 and 9," the outer face of traek 33 is slotted as indicated j t;42, arideac'h spring 321 is attached tofthe outer and lower edge of roof memberfi l by. means ofa bolt 43', as shown n 8. the springs 32 are raised or lowered,

' rdof skinmember 41f is ra i s'd or lowered there with. 'Roofskin member is 'similarly'gattached to ridge fpole f2! and 'sprilfigsfi2' s'o that roof skin member '40 is raised and lowered with: springs' 32'.

"Ea-ch chain smashed to the -spring factuafted thereby by means of a resilient' linkage gas ir'id'icated'ii-ii l ig 12. The resilient linkage includes a plurality 'of bolts' lfi. One end of each 1 bolt {leis slidably received in an opening -4 6' in a cross member 41 linkedto the lower and outer end ofbnefof the springs 32. The other end of each bolt is slidably received in anopening 4T offa-terrr inallink 41" of one ofthe chains 3'1, Each bolt {46' carries a compression coil spring 48 which urges the chain 3! and the' plate spring 32 apart. A nut 48 and abolth-ead 49 on each bolt prevent separation of the from the 'pl-ate'spring 32 at the resilient linkage.

, The forward end of roof section 26 'and ri dge pole it a e uided b-y t ack 51 in the solid top 19 off-rent wall 18, as indicated in-Fi g." 1;0.

Track 5| acts as a slideway in which a pluralityof sli'ding" members or buttons 52fare received. Each member 52 is attached to the leading edge of roof s'kin member M by means ofa belt 53 orat-he like. The sliding members-{52am connected together'by"'a fiat sprin'g member 5'4.

Member 54 slides bn t p of so1id-top I 9. The

lower-land 'outer end of spring member 54 is attachedto arcompression loadablexch'ain mounted inL-a. track I154 (Fig. 1.) .in raistud .54": att-he front ofi-side wall .1]. .A indicated in 10,;a slot 514'. :isprovidedinsolidltop Jl 9,':an'd;th'e forward edgerof roof skinmemberl Allis turnedintoslot 541". so that .:slct 54"ntends' to ic'atch any rain oriltheilikeiwhichmay trapped at the front f roof {section 6. .Thefonwardjedge is atiditionally rear end of sidewall H. Track 51 serves to guide a 'plhralityof' sliding members or button 58. Each sliding member 58 is attached to the rear edge of roof section 26 by means of a bolt 59 or the like. The trailing edge of roof section 26 j-is curved over the top of header panel 22, as indicated at 6| in Fig. 11, to discharge any rain or the like which may collect on roof section 26 over the rear of the truck body. The sliding mmberst are connected together by a flat spring metal member 6|. Member 6| slides on top otlieader panel 22 and on the outside of stud 51,. The lower end of spring member Bl is attached to a compression loadable spring in trackfil'.

eretofore, the structure of roof section 26 has been discussed in detail. Roof section 24 is sirni lar construction and. operates in a similar manner. loadable' chain' 6A mounted therein for actuating the rear end of "roof section'ztl are shown in Fig.

4.. Track B4'is mounted'in a; stud at the rear of the body, as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, each hinge iiiifof truck door 20 is attached to stud t5 inboard of thexouter edge to leave a space 55" in which the trailing edge 6|" (Fig. 11)

of roof sectioni l' can'be received whenithe roof" section 24 is open.

Each-of the chains utilized for raisingor lowering" roof section 2% is in mesh with one of the sprocket wheels 38' as indicated'most clearly in Figs. 2, 5 and fi. The sprocket wheels3$ are all mounted on'a shaft 166 so'that the sprocket wheels 39 can turn together. Shaft BGcarries a crank 61, and the shaft 66 and the sprocket wheels '38 carried thereby are all turned in" unison when crankfi'i is turned. As shown in :Fig'. 14, shaft 66 is loaded by meansof springs 61' to balance the weightof theechains andiroof' sectionlt. The chains which raise and .lower.roof' section 24 similarlyareactuated whena shaft 58 (Fig.3) is turned.

When the roof sections are closed, the ridge poles abut along'the center line of the truck body and form a rain-catching trap betweenthe roof sections. When his desiredto load or uriload the truck body, the "roof "sections maybe openedjto'thef position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon the rear doors 20 and 2i and the header v22 .may. be opened so that" the entire top and rear of truck body are open and the truck body may be loaded from'apove'and from the rear;

- The truck body described abeve and shown in i the drawings isj desig ned as a t'railer truck. However, it is to'be' understood that the same type of other Vehicle. 7

body could be 'usedonjaselffpropelled truck or out difficulty by one man standing on the ground 6 1 and 6.8 may be tco'nne'cted'to an appropriate powertakeofl .for power opening-and'closing of the roof sections. The trailenitruck body illustrated in 'thedra-wings. and described abbve is subject to structural Details of a track 63 and a compression he roof sections can be opened or closedwithmodification, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A truck body of the closed type provided with a roof divided lengthwise at the ridge pole into two sections, each section of said roof comprising a plurality of elongated plate springs adapted to extend transversely of the body from one sidewall to the ridge pole position of the roof and being spaced lengthwise of the body, a ridge pole for each section, the ridge pole ends of the springs of each section being secured to their associated ridge pole, the wall ends of the springs of each section being arranged to slide vertically in the associated sidewall, means for moving the springs of each section vertically in either direction whereby the ridge pole thereof can be moved from a position at the ridge pole position of the roof to a point adjacent the top of the side wall, and a flexible cover for each of said sections secured to the ridge pole and to the springs thereof, whereby the cover moves with the springs to or from closed roof position.

2. A truck body having a floor, side walls, front and rear walls, and a sectional roof that can be opened and closed, said roof comprising a pair of ridge poles, a plurality of elongated plate spring members attached to each ridge pole, each of said spring members being received in a track in one of the side walls, the ridge poles being advanceable between a roof open position adjacent the side walls in which the springs are substantially fully housed in the tracks and a roof closed position in which the ridge poles are in engagement and end portions of the springs are in the tracks with the springs spanning the spaces between the side walls and the ridge poles, a flexible sheet roof member having an edge attached to each ridge pole and overlying the springs to cover the truck body when the ridge poles are in engagement, and means for drawing the roof members into substantial alignment with the sidewalls when the ridge poles are in open position.

3. A roof covering for a truck body having side walls, said roof covering comprising a plurality of spaced parallel tracks extending up and down one of said side walls, each of said tracks terminating in a section directed upwardly and toward the other side wall, an elongated plate spring member slidably received in each of said tracks, a ridge pole connecting the upper ends of said spring members, a flexible sheet roof member overlying the springs, said sheet roof member having one edge attached to the ridge pole, and means for advancing the springs and ridge pole between a roof closed position'in which the roof member covers the truck body and a roof open position in which the springs are substantially fully housed in the tracks and the roof member is in alignment with said one of the side walls.

4. A roof covering for a truck body in accordance with claim 3, characterized by the fact that the means for raising and lowering each spring is a compression loadable chain attached to the lower end of the spring and traveling in the track of the spring below the spring.

5. A roof covering for a truck body in accordance with claim 3, characterized by the fact that each track opens outwardly and that a fastener is provided connecting the edge of the roof member remote from the ridge pole to each spring, the fasteners projecting through the openings in the tracks, whereby the roof member is held substantially taut and is raised and lowered with the springs.

WILLIAM G. BUTSCH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,231,874 Gallanore et a1 July 3, 1917 2,346,554 Clark Apr. 11, 1944 2,562,300 Dingman July 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,120 Great Britain May 31, 1938 

